Additional Resources
On this page you'll find information about and links to resources on the topics of: FAFSA, Financial Aid and Scholarships, Choosing a College/Career, and More.
FAFSA
This year the FAFSA will open on December 1st. It is recommended that all applicants and their parents/spouse login prior to the opening date to create their FSA ID.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly known as FAFSA, is a form that students should fill out before every year of college in order to apply for federal grants, work-study, and loans. Colleges use FAFSA data to determine a student's federal aid eligibility and many states and colleges use FAFSA data to award their own aid. Students and their parents/spouse are encouraged to login prior to the opening date to create their FSA ID, as it takes several days to verify IDs before the FAFSA can be submitted.
The main website for FAFSA information is www.FAFSA.gov.
ILLINOIS-SPECIFIC FAFSA DETAILS:
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In Illinois, students who are ineligible to apply for federal aid, specifically undocumented and transgender students, may apply for Illinois state aid by using the Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid. Completing the Alternative Application provides a pathway for these students to apply for MAP grants, Illinois' largest need-based grant program for low-income college students.
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Depending on application volume and the funds available in a given academic year, MAP grant funding is likely to be depleted before all eligible applicants are awarded. Students in Illinois are encouraged to complete and submit the FAFSA as soon as it is available, or to utilize the Alternative Application.
FINANCIAL AID & SCHOLARSHIPS
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Illinois Student Assistance Commission: Illinois-specific agency that provides Illinois students with information and assistance to help make education beyond high school accessible and affordable.
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FinAid.org: Information on financial aid for college and tips on how to ease the burden of college expenses.
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MyinTuition.org: provides a personalized estimate of what it would cost an individual to attend college, including financial aid estimates.
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Scholarships.com: Expansive database of scholarships (3.7 million and counting) searchable by school, geography, major, interests, demographics, and more.
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FastWeb.com: Find scholarships, financial aid and FAFSA information, college and job search, and more.
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Cappex.com: Research schools, get scholarships, and understand where you fit at any stage of your college journey.
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Edvisors.com: A complete guide to private student loans. Compare lenders, determine which lenders will make loans to the school you plan to attend, make plans to repay or refinance existing loans, and more.
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CollegeBoard.org: Comprehensive source for college planning, including SAT/AP/CLEP info and prep, college search, scholarship search, career finder, and more.
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Why Do My Contributors and I Need Our Own StudentAid.gov Accounts for the FAFSA Form?
CHOOSING A COLLEGE/CAREER
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College Navigator: Use a series of filters/options to refine a college search; make side-by-side comparisons of schools; build a map of the colleges in your search; and much more.
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CollegeBoard: Comprehensive source for college planning, including SAT/AP/CLEP info and prep, college search, scholarship search, career finder, and more.
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EducationQuest Foundation: Specifically designed for students in Nebraska but with many resources applicable to ALL students. Includes resources to help students as young as 6th grade prepare for attending college, including career exploration and planning, steps to take throughout high school to prepare for college, FAFSA tools, and more.
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College Rank: Customized search considering "the whole package" of a college, matching a degree program to specific student interests or characteristics related to the culture/experience provided by a particular institution.
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Cappex.com: Research schools, get scholarships, and understand where you fit at any stage of your college journey.
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Tuition Tracker: is an interactive tool that shows the relationship between published tuition and the actual costs of attending a college. Students can compare colleges by using their household income level to see what students like them have paid in the past.
MORE RESOURCES
The Rockford Public Library has many print and digital resources available for local students to dive into research on scholarship opportunities, how to utilize scholarship dollars, guides on selecting colleges, and so much more.
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SavingForCollege.com: Free tools to help you start, track, and grow your child's college savings.
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Scholarship Tax Calculator: Determine if your scholarship/financial aid may be taxed and if so, how much it will be taxed.
Please Note: This page is updated frequently to add new resources and to update existing resources in order to ensure the accuracy of the information that is provided. However, the nature of online/digital resources and the financial aid landscape in general means that information changes rapidly. Links and dates may change, and available scholarships and aid may vary from year to year depending on a variety of factors. Users are encouraged to use caution when accessing information via third-party sources and in particular to never enter personal information without verifying the validity of the site in question. The inclusion of a resource on this page does not indicate endorsement of the source by Scholarships Northern Illinois.
If you find an error on this page or if you have an additional resource which you believe should be added, Contact Us!